Positive The Tapering Support Thread v 2.0

[Jnowhere]

Thank you for the reply. I guess everyone is different but for me I have to taper slowly with my lorazepam. I wish my Dr would switch me to Valium. I have heard that is best for tapering.

Over a period of a year I have cut down from 1 mg lorazepam a day to .25 mg a day. So I'm still not done and I have had a few concerning symptoms so I'm just keeping it slow.

I'm actually upset my Dr ever started me on this. Of all things it was for migraines. So unnecessary. Now I have to get off before he retires or decides to stop prescribing it. It is worrisome at my age.

Good luck with your taper. Go slowly if you are cutting back the Valium.

Migraines? That is one I never heard before.
There are so many meds for migraines, but lorazepam or any benzo for them is something I never heard of.
When you see your doctor and are ready for a small decrease, see if he will prescibe 2mg Valiums.
They are the weakest and are, according to the chart; are equivalent to .20mg of Ativan( lorazepam)
I have always heard what you said about Valium, being best for tapering.
Good luck, benzos are a nightmare and only schedule 4.

 

[kris66]

Migraines? That is one I never heard before.
There are so many meds for migraines, but lorazepam or any benzo for them is something I never heard of.
When you see your doctor and are ready for a small decrease, see if he will prescibe 2mg Valiums.
They are the weakest and are, according to the chart; are equivalent to .20mg of Ativan( lorazepam)
I have always heard what you said about Valium, being best for tapering.
Good luck, benzos are a nightmare and only schedule 4.

I had complained about insomnia to my Dr and at the time I was having frequent migraines. I feel like I should have known better though because I'm in the medical field. But it was really tempting to take the pills because I have struggled with insomnia my whole life.

I agree Valium would be better but I'm afraid if I mention it to my Dr he will put me on a regimented taper schedule and wean me off too quickly.

 

[Jnowhere]

I had complained about insomnia to my Dr and at the time I was having frequent migraines. I feel like I should have known better though because I'm in the medical field. But it was really tempting to take the pills because I have struggled with insomnia my whole life.

I agree Valium would be better but I'm afraid if I mention it to my Dr he will put me on a regimented taper schedule and wean me off too quickly.

Good point, I don't know your doctor and
and they might try that.
Too bad you don't live in metro Detroit, I could give the name of a doctor, who is really good, knowledgeable and if all you wanted was an extremely low dose of Valium, no problem.

 

[Squeaky]

I wish my Dr would switch me to Valium. I have heard that is best for tapering.

Look up “The Ashton Method for tapering benzos”. It’s a comprehensive plan to slowly switch a patient to Diazepam (Valium) and then taper off it. It takes a year.

Maybe you could show it to your Dr to convince him to switch you to Valium for your taper.

 

[kris66]

Look up “The Ashton Method for tapering benzos”. It’s a comprehensive plan to slowly switch a patient to Diazepam (Valium) and then taper off it. It takes a year.

Maybe you could show it to your Dr to convince him to switch you to Valium for your taper.

Thank you Squeaky, I am doing a water taper method right now that is slow but I'm tapering lorazepam instead of valium. I am nervous about talking to my Dr about tapering but I will check that out.

 

[Jnowhere]

Thank you Squeaky, I am doing a water taper method right now that is slow but I'm tapering lorazepam instead of valium. I am nervous about talking to my Dr about tapering but I will check that out.

I honestly wish I had been told how dangerous benzos are.

 

[kris66]

I honestly wish I had been told how dangerous benzos are.

I procrastinated tapering lorazepam because I was so nervous about it. But honestly as long as I taper slowly it's been doable. I really want to be done with it, but I've been on it for over 10 years so I'm afraid to come off it faster

It's nice you have a good MD who is understanding. You should be able to wean down when ready.

 

[Jnowhere]

I procrastinated tapering lorazepam because I was so nervous about it. But honestly as long as I taper slowly it's been doable. I really want to be done with it, but I've been on it for over 10 years so I'm afraid to come off it faster

It's nice you have a good MD who is understanding. You should be able to wean down when ready.

I have been on benzos many years, but you are right, the patient should decide.

 

[Squeaky]

I had a small seizure after 24 hours cold turkey off Lorazepam. I ended up doing a fast taper, cutting by 1/2 I think every 4-5 days. I jumped off from 1/2 mg daily dose and was fine. I had only been on it for about a year though.

Benzos are no f***ing joke!

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

I procrastinated tapering lorazepam because I was so nervous about it. But honestly as long as I taper slowly it's been doable. I really want to be done with it, but I've been on it for over 10 years so I'm afraid to come off it faster

It's nice you have a good MD who is understanding. You should be able to wean down when ready.

That's a long time, not as long as some however. I think it's great! I guess just listen to your body so that it's slow enough, along with the mind. I was on benzos for years and I got off, but without my SNRI I wouldn't have been able to take the PAWS effects on anxiety.

I have been on benzos many years, but you are right, the patient should decide.

I agree! And doctors might do well to be a bit more hesitant to prescribe them for long periods of time in the first place.

I had a small seizure after 24 hours cold turkey off Lorazepam. I ended up doing a fast taper, cutting by 1/2 I think every 4-5 days. I jumped off from 1/2 mg daily dose and was fine. I had only been on it for about a year though.

Benzos are no f***ing joke!

That's a while. For me it's been several years, and I'm not the same but I'm getting there. Never had some of my anxiety symptoms before them. It's slow progress, yet it's progress.

Yeah I know, and it can be so easy for doctors to do so and make things more difficult in the end.

 

[kris66]

I had a small seizure after 24 hours cold turkey off Lorazepam. I ended up doing a fast taper, cutting by 1/2 I think every 4-5 days. I jumped off from 1/2 mg daily dose and was fine. I had only been on it for about a year though.

Benzos are no f***ing joke!

You did well to be able to jump off at 1/2 mg with no problems. I'm down to .25 and still afraid to jump off. I should have tapered sooner but I was nervous about stopping. But I really need to stop now because I think my Dr is getting ready to retire and better to do it slowly on my own than be forced into a fast taper.

 

[kris66]

And doctors might do well to be a bit more hesitant to prescribe them for long periods of time in the first place.

 

[kris66]

So true. I think most people have no idea how hard it's going to be to stop. Doctors don't usually fully explain the dangers of starting benzos.

A friend of mine had been on 2 mg lorazepam a day for years and one month she ran out early. She had a dizzy spell in the shower and fell and hit her head. (Luckily she was just bruised) When I asked her about it she said she had no idea she couldn't just stop taking it. I think a lot of people are unaware of the dangers.

 

[Jnowhere]

I got them because they said I was going to die without a liver transplant in a year, so In my case who cares; one problem I lived, 8 1/2 years and counting.

 

[kris66]

I got them because they said I was going to die without a liver transplant in a year, so In my case who cares; one problem I lived, 8 1/2 years and counting.

I'm glad you lived. You can tackle the benzos later if you need to.

 

[Squeaky]

You did well to be able to jump off at 1/2 mg with no problems. I'm down to .25 and still afraid to jump off. I should have tapered sooner but I was nervous about stopping. But I really need to stop now because I think my Dr is getting ready to retire and better to do it slowly on my own than be forced into a fast taper.

My standard move was always to wean myself off the pills on my own and secretly squirrel away a few months supply before telling my Dr to stop prescribing them.

I’m now actually using a prescription for Lyrica from about 8 years ago to fill in between days each month where my new Dr neglects to get my current prescription to my pharmacy on time.

 

[kris66]

The older Lyrica pills may be expired. They shouldn't be harmful if they are expired just possibly less potent.

I was careful to save some lorazepam also in case something happens to my prescription. It's hard for me not to stress over things like that. I keep them in a safe. If something happens to me my kids will think I was hoarding pills. Lol

 

[Squeaky]

I’m drinking again. A lot better than before, but that’s a bit like saying the new cancer isn’t as deadly as the previous cancer.

Anyone who says it’s as easy as going to therapy or getting the right medication can go to hell.

 

[Jnowhere]

I’m drinking again. A lot better than before, but that’s a bit like saying the new cancer isn’t as deadly as the previous cancer.

Anyone who says it’s as easy as going to therapy or getting the right medication can go to hell.

Damn straight, Chirosis didn't stop me, nearly dying, nope. Only becoming allergic to it stopped me. Also being on probation and random piss tests

 

[Jnowhere]

Damn straight, Chirosis didn't stop me, nearly dying, nope. Only becoming allergic to it stopped me. Also being on probation and random piss tests

I know you know this but keep track of your liver enzymes or if you get pancreatitus than, strong pain killers are the only real option unless you want to be bed hidden and in agony.

Also even more insidious is if you are like me, an insomniac, who gets very, wide awake and full of energy on them.

So then I need benzos( worse than the other 2 in my opinion, with really long use).
However I don't have any love for pills. So if I could I would stop, but opiod and benzo withdrawal together almost killed me.
I didn't run out, I just didn't need them anymore. My doctor who is cool and knowledgeable really helped me.( He didn't put me on benzos).

Then of course there is those issues. So Then it is being physically addicted to perscription pain killers and benzos.

I wish you the best of luck, because I know the never ending cycle pretty well.